Header Image Attribution: “Accueil du centre spatial guyanais 2” by Don-vip is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0This post contains affiliate links. Our Extraordinary Planet may be compensated for any purchases you make.Whether you’re an aerospace fanatic or just looking for an interesting new destination, if you’re visiting French Guiana, the Guiana Space Centre is a destination you just can’t miss. From Vega to Europa-II, the Guiana Space Centre has been the site of many incredible launches by the European Space Agency (ESA). It’s important to note, however, that while English tours can be found, they are primarily offered in French — so you will need to look around for the right tour.
And if you’re looking to visit other fascinating destinations in the tropical enclaves of Central and South America, please consider reading our new safety guide for Honduras!
History Of The Guiana Space Centre
On April 14, 1964, the Guiana Space Centre officially opened. Since then, this incredible site has become the primary launch facility used by the European Space Agency (ESA) and has been the location of several historic launches, such as the Ariane 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. The first pad at this site was constructed in the 1960s, but since then, two additional launchpads have been built.
The first launchpad, ELA-1, was used to launch the Europa-II. But after the 1971 launch, the space program was canceled and the Space Centre fell into a lull. Not much later, however, the Ariane project launched and the Guiana Space Center became an active site again. The new ELA-1 was built to support the Ariane 1, and in the 1980s and 1990s, the ELA-2 and ELA-3 launchpads were added.
The reason why this space center is used as the primary launch site is due to its incredible location, since it’s located just 300 miles north of the Equator. Due to this, the rockets can be launched at a reduced inclination angle (~6°, compared to ~28.5° at Cape Canaveral) and an incredible amount of fuel can be saved with each launch.
Today, the Guiana Space Centre is still an active site for rocket launches. The Vega, Soyuz, and Ariane 5 rockets are launched from the ELA-1, ELA-2, and ELA-3 launchpads, respectively. Best of all, the space center is extremely active. Since the original Ariane 5 mission in 1996, for example, over 100 additional Ariane 5 launches have occurred.
Must-See Attractions At The Guiana Space Centre
Once you’ve decided to visit the Guiana Space Centre, you’ll need to start by booking a tour in your preferred language. You’ll generally go to the space center on a large bus with other visitors, so while your adventure through the site is mostly guided, there’s still some incredible sights you’ll need to stay alert for.
The most interesting part of the Guiana Space Centre is definitely the museum. The museum is designed to cater to most visitors, whether you’re visiting solo or bringing your family along. The exhibits have a focus on providing active learning experiences, and you can see a variety of important replicas, artifacts, videos, and models. If you love the Air & Space Museum in D.C., you’ll love everything that the Guiana Space Centre has to offer.
While most visitors won’t get to see a launch, if you time your trip right, you may get to witness one of the incredible Ariane launches. Tourists who have witnessed these launches are wowed by the incredible power of the launch — while the power can’t be felt through a TV or computer screen, you’ll really feel the force it takes to launch an Ariane rocket into space if you witness it in person. You can check the scheduled Ariane launch dates here.
The tour takes nearly three hours to complete, so you’ll need to come ready to treat the tour like a day-trip. But once you’ve finished seeing everything that the Guiana Space Centre has to offer, you can always go for an incredible dinner at nearby restaurants like the savory Milo Grill or the delightful Restaurant Amazonia. Before you leave, though, it’s essential to get an iconic selfie with the replica ESA rocket found at the center.
Where Is Guiana Space Centre
You can visit the Guiana Space Centre by going to Kourou. If you’re looking to just fly in, you’re in luck — you can fly to the Rochambeau Airport and land only an hour’s drive away from the space center. And with affordable stays and a gorgeous beach at the Plage de la Cocoteraie, there’s plenty of ways to enjoy your trip outside of the space center tour.
If you’d rather stay at a hot tourist destination like the Île Royale or Devil’s Island, there’s also no need to worry: between the fly-in access and the close distance to Kourou, it’s entirely possible to take a weekend trip to see the Space Centre and the broader mainland. When you’re booking your flight, you’ll find that most international flights will take you to Rochambeau Airport — only 30 miles away from Kourou. You can also find domestic flights to the Kourou airport.
How To Visit Guiana Space Centre
Before visiting the Guiana Space Center, you will need to reserve a tour in advance. It’s important to note that tours are usually offered in French, so you’ll also need to make sure that you book an English tour (unless French is your forte!) Luckily, plenty of travel agencies offer quality tours of the space center in a variety of languages — for example, this agency offers tours with a Dutch or English guide for a reasonable fee. Regardless of how you choose to visit, there’s no doubt that the Guiana Space Centre is one of the most fascinating modern attractions in South America.
